A Dream among Reality
by BandGeekAltoSax
Summary: Hermione gets a total make over, and everybody but Harry and Ron love the new her. H
1. Who is this girl?

AN: This is my first Harry Potter FanFic. Hope you like it. Please read and respond. I don't mind flames, as long as there isn't drastic swearing. Thanks a lot! And please enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Nor did I make it, or any of it's wonderful characters.  
  
~Who is this girl?~  
  
Harry and Ron sat in boredom on the Hogwarts Express as they waited for their bushy haired friend to come find them.  
  
"Well, if Hermione doesn't get here soon, I'm going to start searching for her." Ron sighed, looking around the car.  
  
"Let's go." Harry said standing up, "I can't stand sitting here any longer, and I am becoming really worried."  
  
Harry and Ron went from car to car, searching for Hermione Granger. They asked the other students if they had seen her, but none of them had. Once they were in one of the last cars, they saw a crowd around one girl.  
  
"Wow, who's the new girl?" Ron grinned as he looked upon a beautiful 16- year-old girl with shoulder length straight brown hair, with blonde highlights, and beautiful brown eyes.  
  
"Ron, brace yourself," Harry gasped in shock, "That's no new girl, that's Hermione!"  
  
Ron swallowed hard, "Hermione?? But it. can't be! No, that's not 'Mione, that's some new girl. It has to be!"  
  
Harry saw that most of the crowd around this girl was guys, and hardly any from Gryffindor. He tapped Oliver Wood on the shoulder, who was actually, the only Gryffindor, "Hey Wood, who's this new girl?"  
  
Wood grinned, "This isn't any new girl, this our very own Hermione." After answering Harry's question he turned back to the girl and gazed at her in awe, he appeared to hang onto her every word.  
  
Ron looked as if he were ready to faint. "Hermione?!" He said loudly. "What the -?" But before he could finish his sentence, he was passed on the ground.  
  
Hermione looked up, "Harry!" she cried excitedly, running to her friend and giving him a hug. "It seems like just yesterday that we were on the train heading home from Hogwarts." She smiled and let go of her friend.  
  
"Her-Her-Hermione!" Harry stuttered, "Your hair, it's. amazing!" He just stood there staring at this girl who appeared to have the same story as Cinderella.  
  
"Granger looks pretty hot, doesn't she, Potter?" Malfoy sneered with a smile.  
  
Hermione giggled at Malfoy's comment, "He is so cute!" She smiled at Harry and bouncily grabbed his hand and made him sit and talk with the rest of the group that was around her. "Oh, and have you seen Ron? I'm kind of afraid that he might flip when he sees me like this."  
  
"Oh. yeah, Ron is around here somewhere, and he has seen you. He fainted when Wood said that was you sitting there." Harry said calmly still in awe of this beautiful friend.  
  
"That silly boy!" Hermione laughed shaking her head, "I haven't changed THAT much! Have I?"  
  
"Hermione, we have to talk. now!" Harry panicked as he drug his friend out of the car. By now Ron was awake and he just followed the two in shock. Once the trio was into an empty car, Harry freaked, "What the heck happened to you 'Mione?!"  
  
"What're you talking about?" Hermione asked seriously, "Do you not like it?"  
  
"No, I love it, it is wonderful, but you, have. changed, a lot! I just wanted to know what made you want to change so drastically." Harry sighed, putting an arm around Hermione.  
  
"Well, I was kind of tired of everyone teasing me about my hair, and I got bored one day, so I decided to straighten it. Then my mum said how cute it would be to get it highlighted, so of course I took the opportunity!" Hermione explained, "And once I had my new look, my self esteem took a total turn on me, and I feel so. free! It feels like I don't have a care in the world, and for once, I am happy with myself." She gave a half smile, afraid that her friends wouldn't understand.  
  
"Oh, Hermione!" Ron cried and he hugged his friend, "You were so beautiful before, though!" Ron buried his face in her soft hair, "Ooh, you smell good!"  
  
Hermione laughed at Ron's comment, but then took a serious toll, "Ron, I am flattered that you think that, but I wasn't happy with myself. I felt ugly, and not beautiful, no matter what anyone told me."  
  
Harry nodded, "I understand 'Mione, but you called Malfoy. cute!" He shuddered when he said Malfoy and cute in the same sentence.  
  
Ron almost cried at this, "Hermione! That is not you! Malfoy hates you! We all know that! How can you call him cute?!"  
  
"Ron," Hermione shook her head, "Malfoy finally notices me as a human being, and not just a muggle born witch, and he was quite flattering too. How could I help it?"  
  
"HE'S MALFOY!!!!!!!!!!" Ron screamed, turning redder every second.  
  
Hermione blushed, "Well, I am sorry, it is done now, and I can't take it back. For once I feel wanted other than by kids in Gryffindor. If you can't understand that, then I guess I am evidently not wanted." Tears began streaming down her cheeks and she stormed out of the car flipping her hair behind her. 


	2. The Jealous Type

The Jealous Type  
  
Once they had arrived at Hogwarts, Hermione was a bit more calmed down, although she didn't sit by them at dinner. In fact, she sat with Oliver Wood, and Lee Jordan.  
  
"So Oliver, I never got to ask you," Hermione smiled, "What're you doing back at Hogwarts?" To Harry and Ron, she seemed to be flirting, but to Wood, she was just making conversation.  
  
"Well Hermione, I'm here on special Dumbledore business." Wood smiled and winked at her.  
  
Before Hermione could 'flirt' with any one else, the Headmaster tapped his glass with a spoon, "Welcome to another exciting year at Hogwarts! I am sure that many of you have heard of the new program we are starting here at Hogwarts. Yes that is correct, a tutoring program. For those students that are in great need of extra help in certain areas. And we have one of our past students here to help us get started with that, Oliver Wood."  
  
Wood stood up, waving and smiling at the students. "There will be 3 or 4 tutors for each house, and they are all highly qualified in majority of the areas that we teach at Hogwarts. Students will be placed in different groups where they will have study hours after class on certain days, the groups will be mixed houses. We feel that it may bring unity to some of our more rival houses." The Slytherin and Gryffindor houses exchanged glares. Expect for Malfoy, who looked straight at Hermione and winked.  
  
Ron unfortunately saw the wink that Malfoy gave 'his girl' and almost came unglued. He jumped up from his seat and stormed over to Malfoy, "That is it, Malfoy! I have had it with your flirting with Hermione!"  
  
Malfoy rolled his eyes at Ron and sighed, "Face it Weasel, you're little Hermione grew up over the summer, and for once, not just you is noticing her!" at this Ron's face became redder than his hair and he jumped on top of Malfoy.  
  
"Take that back! Take that back! She will always be the same Hermione! No matter what she does to her hair! And no matter how pretty she is, she will always hate you Malfoy!"  
  
"Ronald Weasley!" It was Hermione that shouted his name so clearly, "Leave Malfoy alone! I don't hate him anymore! Haven't you ever heard of forgive and forget?! Well maybe you should try it sometime!" The whole school was now staring at the fight in shock, mostly because of Hermione's change in looks.  
  
Before the three could make another move, the teachers all gathered around and tried to sort out the problem. "Prefects, please take your houses back to their dormitories, and you three stay with me." He looked at Hermione in slight confusion and then to Malfoy and Ron, giving a slight shake of the head.  
  
After the Great Hall was empty, spare the teachers and the three students, Dumbledore instructed them to follow him to his office. Once inside they were instructed to sit. "Now, Mr. Malfoy, what is your side of the story first? And Mr. Weasley, no interrupting."  
  
"Why does that stupid Ferret-," Ron started to yell angrily.  
  
"Mr. Weasley!" Dumbledore said sternly, but friendly, "Your turn will too come."  
  
"Like I was about to say before I was so RUDELY interrupted," Malfoy started, "I saw Hermione on the train, and was in great awe of her changed beauty. I never thought such a smart girl could be so beautiful. And so of course, I had to talk to her. Hermione's attitude had changed too, and she was much more pleasant to be around. We were having a jolly time, actually getting to know her. Then Potter came onto the train and insisted that he talked to Hermione immediately. Hermione left with him, and about 5 minutes later, she came back, with a tear-stained face. We all insisted that she told us what was wrong, but she just said that it was dumb, and that she didn't want to talk about it. And then we were just sitting listening to you calmly, and I glanced over at the Gryffindor table and then the next thing I knew, Weasley was attacking me."  
  
"Miss Granger, is this true so far?" Dumbledore asked calmly. Hermione nodded silently, staring at the ground. "Now Mr. Weasley, what had made Hermione cry, and then what made you so angry with Mr. Malfoy?"  
  
"Hermione was crying because Harry and I had asked her what was wrong, and why she was all of sudden so friendly with Malfoy, and she. she called him." Ron stuttered at trying to speak, "She called him cute, sir. And that set me off. I got really jealous of Malfoy and didn't want to loose one of my best friends to his slimy-ness."  
  
"What about at dinner?" Dumbledore asked the embarrassed red head.  
  
"Malfoy winked at her." Ron whispered, barely enough for anyone to hear.  
  
Hermione sighed, "Is that all this is about? My hair?" She looked quite embarrassed, "Ron, please! I told you that I would still be the same Hermione Granger that you know."  
  
"No Hermione. It will never be the same. It can't be, and it won't be!" Ron choked, trying to hold back tears, "You are like a dream, Hermione. You weren't supposed to change, not you."  
  
"Everyone has to change at some point in life, Mr. Weasley." Dumbledore tried to explain. "Some just change when you least expect it. Now, I ask that maybe you would be able to support Hermione, whether she hangs out with Mr. Malfoy or not. Because that is what friends do."  
  
Hermione gave a slight smile, "Please Ron? I don't like it when we fight."  
  
Ron shrugged, "Whatever." He then stood up and stormed out of Dumbledore's office.  
  
"Well, I suppose you two are excused then." Dumbledore said with a comforting smile.  
  
Hermione and Malfoy stood up and left the headmaster's office together, once they were in the empty corridor, he lightly grabbed her wrist, "Personally, Hermione, I think you look absolutely brilliant, and I don't know what Weasley is talking about."  
  
"That is very sweet of you Draco," She lightly kissed him on the cheek, "But I really need to patch up my friendship with Harry and Ron, they're my best friends, and I love them to pieces. But I am truly flattered, and am greatly obliged." After talking for a couple more minutes, the two said goodnight and went their separate ways.  
  
'How in the world am I going to get her to continue treating me so kindly?' Malfoy thought to himself, 'She truly is amazing, but I can't go off ruining my reputation. Especially can't go off making friends with Potter and Weasley.'  
  
At the same time Hermione thought to herself, 'Why is Malfoy all of a sudden so charming? He knows that I am still muggle born, and in Gryffindor. He is my enemy, and my friend at the same time. Is that possible? I really wish Harry and Ron weren't so hard on him.'  
  
AN: If the chapters are too long, let me know, and I will shorten them up for you. I hope you are enjoying reading the story as much I as I am writing it. Please R and R! It will help me not get so many writer's blocks. Thanks again, and keep reading. 


	3. Just a Silly Girl

~ Just a Silly Girl~  
  
Hermione walked into the Gryffindor common room, and tucked her hair behind her ear, gazing the room for Harry. Before she could say anything, Lavender and Parvati bounded up to her like two excited little schoolgirls.  
  
"Hermione! I love you're hair! It is so cute!" Lavender cried as Parvati played with it gently. "We heard about Ron's jealousy!" Lavender continued.  
  
"And we think he's being really dumb!" Parvati said finishing Lavender's sentence, "Your hair is brilliant, and any girl would kill to have the attention that you are getting!"  
  
"Thanks!" Hermione smiled, "That's way sweet of you!" She hugged the two girls like they were lifetime friends, "Have you seen Harry around anywhere? I really need to talk to him."  
  
The girls pointed Hermione in the direction of Wood, "He and Oliver," Lavender giggled, she had proclaimed that Oliver Wood was the hottest man alive her first year at Hogwarts, "Have been talking for hours upon end about Quiditch!"  
  
"Boys!" Hermione laughed, shaking her head, "All they ever talk about is Quiditch, Quiditch, and maybe girls every now and then!" Lavender and Parvati giggled then invited Hermione to sit and talk with them. "Well, I honestly would, but I really need to talk to Harry, I promise I will tomorrow!" Lavender and Parvati understood and skipped off to converse with Ginny Weasley.  
  
Hermione walked over to Harry and Wood silently, "Hi Harry, Hi Oliver." She said joyfully, but then her mood changed, and she went to seriousness. "Harry? Could I talk to you?"  
  
"Yeah, I suppose so." Harry asked standing up and leading her to an empty spot in the common room. "This is about Ron, isn't?"  
  
Hermione nodded, "Yeah. what is his problem? Everybody seems to love the new me, except for him! Why?" Hermione looked sincerely at Harry, who sighed heavily.  
  
"Well Herm' personally, I don't really like the new you either. You're not the Hermione that I remember. And it will take a long time to get used to that. Ron and I aren't sure if your brains disappeared along with your personality." Harry said regretting every word of it.  
  
"Why would you ever thing that?" Hermione cried softly, "What am I? You're home work guru?! I am the Magical Hermione that gives you all the answers? Is that all I am to you? Well then you can just forget I ever tried to fix things." Hermione ran out of the common room and up to her bed where she buried her face in her pillow and sobbed, 'Why are they doing this to me?' she thought to herself, 'They are my best friends!' before she knew it she had drifted off into a deep sleep.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
*Back in the Common Room*  
  
Harry walked back over to Wood confused at the conversation he had just had. Wood raised a brow and gave Harry a questioning look, "Is Hermione okay?" He asked, seeming worried about the girl.  
  
"Yeah, she'll get over it," Harry said shrugging it off, "For the first time, she is being a girl." He gave a slight frown, "Do you think it will change her intelligence level?"  
  
Wood scratched his head, and sighed, "Well Harry, Hermione is one good looking young lady, I can not deny that. But, I really think you and Ron are being stupid. Think about it, would Hermione freak out if you got removed your glasses, and started taming your hair?"  
  
Instantly Harry had an answer, "No! That would be just dumb!"  
  
Wood nodded his head, "My point exactly. You need to give this new Hermione a try, you never know, you could end up falling for her, just like Ron did."  
  
"No." Harry breathed, "You're wrong, Hermione is just being a silly girl. A silly little girl, who doesn't realize how much she has changed." Harry threw his arms in the air, "For heaven's sake, Wood, she called that slithering Ferret cute!"  
  
"That's because he is cute!" Lavender Brown shouted across the room.  
  
"Yeah Harry, you could take some fashion tips from him, you know!" Parvati giggled. Before Harry could respond to the girls, they were having a giggle fest, and appeared to not have control of when to stop.  
  
"Now that," Wood started, "Is how girls act, one minute they're all over you, the next, they're insulting you as if we men had no feelings."  
  
"You mean, boys, have. feelings?!" A random blonde haired first year asked, trying not to giggle. "We always thought you had none. Since you guys can be so cold!" The group of first year girls started to giggle madly.  
  
By now, all the girls in the common room were giggling. Some even crying they were laughing so hard.  
  
Suddenly Oliver Wood snorted loudly in laughter.  
  
"Wood!" Harry cried, "You're not supposed to encourage girls to giggle, it only makes it worse!"  
  
"But it is just so funny!" Wood was laughing hysterically at all the giggling girls.  
  
Seeing Wood laugh so hard was enough for all the guys in the common room to bust up laughing too. Except for Harry, who was greatly annoyed by all of this, "You are all wrong! Hermione should have never changed anything about it!" But that just made the girls giggle more, and the guys think that Harry was insane.  
  
Harry stormed up to his dormitory and sat by the window, 'Is it just me and Ron then? Are we the only ones who are not amazed by this new Hermione? She is just being dumb. I wish she hadn't spent all summer hanging out with muggle girls; they probably influenced her to change. Mark my word, Hermione Granger will pay for this!'  
  
AN: I had a bit of trouble writing this chapter. Wasn't sure exactly what to write. Hopefully the next chapters get easier, and I will be able to post them faster. Thanks for all of the replies that I have gotten. They really do help me. 


	4. The Tension Grows

~The tension grows~  
  
Hermione strolled into the Great Hall for breakfast with a bright smile upon her face. She found a seat at the Gryffindor table next to Ginny Weasley, Lavender Brown, and Parvati Patil. Immediately the girls started to giggle and look in Wood's direction.  
  
Harry groaned, "Wood! How can you stand them looking over at you and giggling like that?!"  
  
"Well Harry, like this." Wood looked at the girls and smiled broadly at them, then winked, "And that is why I love giggly girls!" When Wood had smiled at them, Lavender blushed a bright red, and the girls gave out a high pitched shrill of delight. Of course Wood loved every second, so he just chuckled with joy when Ron clasped his hands over his ears.  
  
"Why do they HAVE to scream like that?" Ron cried, "It is so annoying!" He stuffed some of his bacon into his mouth and that spit, more than said "I miss the old 'Mione! She wasn't so much a girl, but a. You know! She was. Hermione!"  
  
"Yes, I know, Ron." Harry agreed, "I miss her too. If I wanted to hang out with girls like that, I would be all over Lavender and Parvati. But Hermione was my friend." Harry sighed silently to himself.  
  
Hermione had heard what Harry and Ron had said, so she stood up, and walked over to the two, "I am still your friend!" She claimed, "If you guys would just give me a chance! I would prove that I am still the same Hermione!"  
  
"Hermione." Harry said between his clenched teeth, "Just. leave. You've already done enough damage."  
  
Hermione swallowed hard trying to fight back tears, "You have created damage for yourself, and I had nothing to do with it." When she could feel the tears filling up her eyes she quickly turned to run out of the Great Hall. When she was out, she fell onto her knees and started to sob.  
  
A cold, but gentle hand was laid on her shoulder, and she jumped a little. "Hermione? What's wrong?" A familiar, but distant, voice asked.  
  
Hermione got to her feet and slowly turned around to see whom her comforter was. It was just the guy she was hoping for, Draco Malfoy. When she saw who it was, she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his robes.  
  
Malfoy sat there and held Hermione in his arms for a couple minutes, until voices could be heard approaching. "Get off me Granger, I'm not your tissue!" He said pushing her away from him. Lucky for Malfoy he had shoved her away just in time, it was a group of gossiping Slytherins, who sneered at Hermione when they saw her.  
  
Hermione looked at Malfoy in shock, had he truly just done that to her? "Malfoy! You are such a jerk! I can't believe you!" She quickly turned away and ran outside where she ran to a quiet spot by the Great Lake. Hermione laid herself down on the bouncy grass and drifted off into a well needed sleep.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
*Back in the Great Hall*  
  
Wood was lecturing Ron and Harry again about how they really needed to just listen to Hermione. "In fact, you should even listen to me." Wood could tell that he was getting nowhere in talking. So he started to speak in boring monotone "Because I am so cool, and I am the hottest guy to ever walk the earth, and I know everything." Nothing yet, Harry and Ron had yet to respond.  
  
Lavender scooted herself next to Oliver Wood, "I think you're perfect!" She flirted with a tint of red to her cheeks. The next thing Wood knew, Lavender had kissed him gently on the cheek, and then scooted back to where she was sitting. Parvati and Ginny giggled nonstop for the next 15 minutes. Until their faces were red, and they had tears rolling down their cheeks.  
  
Wood smiled at his admirer, who turned a lovely shade of red and smiled back. "Thank you, Lavender," he grinned, "that was very sweet of you."  
  
Harry and Ron starred at Wood in disgust, "See?! How can you stand that?" Ron shouted at the alumni member.  
  
"Just give yourself a while, Ron, wait for those hormones to kick in." Wood laughed at the expression of confusion on the boys' faces. "Well, you better get off to class now, so that I don't get in trouble for your lateness." Wood smiled, shooing the underclassmen out of the Great Hall.  
  
After all the students had left, Wood turned to Dumbledore, "Do you really think the students will buy into that whole, 'tutoring job' thing, Professor Dumbledore?"  
  
"Well, Wood," Dumbledore started, "We need to tell them something while we are planning for our plan."  
  
AN: I love cliffhangers! Don't you? They're so fun to write. Torturous to read, but they keep you questioning. Thanks for R & R-ing! And please keep doing what you have been. Cheerio until next time! 


	5. DADA Reunion

Chapter 5: D.A.D.A. Reunion.  
  
Hermione walked into Defense against the Dark Arts about 15 minutes late the first day they had that class. "I'm terribly sorry that I'm late!" She apologized to the new D.A.D.A. teacher, who was sitting with his back turned to Hermione.  
  
"Ah, Miss Granger! Nice of you to join us in class!" The scruffy man said turning his chair around to face her.  
  
"Hey! Don't even go there! I have had one bad day!" Hermione shouted before she noticed who the man was, "So don't even go. there. LUPIN!!!" She screamed with glee. "It's great to see you!"  
  
Lupin laughed and smiled at her, "You're hair looks beautiful, 'Mione. You may take a seat next to Miss Brown."  
  
The whole class was staring at the two now, as Hermione walked bouncily to her seat. When she realized that everyone was staring at her, she turned to the class from her front row seat, "What?" She nervously tucked her hair behind her ear. Then she turned to Lavender, who was grinning broadly.  
  
"You are SOO lucky!" Lavender cried in a whisper. She looked as if she was about to shriek with delight.  
  
"Why?" Hermione mouthed, with a curious look on her face.  
  
"I can't tell you, but you are one lucky girl, Hermione Granger!" Lavender unintentionally said loud. She turned bright red when she realized she was disrupting the silent class.  
  
"Ladies, do I need to separate you two?" Lupin said, winking at the two giggle fests.  
  
"No!" Lavender squeaked, trying not to giggle at the sight of Hermione's dumb-stricken face.  
  
Lupin stood up from his chair, "Well class, I think what we'll do today is discuss your feelings about the rise of You-Know-Who." Lupin watched a few students shudder at the thought of Voldemort coming back into power.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
After class Hermione grabbed Lavender's arm gently and pulled her aside, "NOW can you tell me?!" She laughed at the torture she had to go through all of class, but even with Lupin giving an awesome lesson she couldn't concentrate.  
  
Lavender just giggled, "How bad do you want to know?" She laughed then winked at her friend. Before Hermione could even answer, Lavender burst into hysterical giggles, and then whispered, "I over heard Malfoy talking to Parvati, and he told her to bug off because she can't even compare to the most beautiful girl in school."  
  
Hermione's eyes got big and she had a grin on her face, "Are you serious?!" She shouted then started giggling.  
  
Right then Harry and Ron passed the two gigglers, and rolled their eyes. "Girls." Harry sighed as he frowned in their direction.  
  
"No kidding." Ron snarled at Hermione, "I can't believe they're so annoying! GRRRR!" Ron was turning red in the face now and looked like a teapot that was ready to be taken off the stove.  
  
"Hi Harry!" A small voice called from behind them. Harry turned to face a small red headed Weasley girl.  
  
"Oh! Hello Ginny!" Harry grinned, and Ginny blushed.  
  
"That, Harry, is a girl!" Ron shouted pointing at his little sister, "And all girls are horrible! Especially that one!"  
  
"Oh. err. right!" Harry shuddered. "Sorry Ginny! Girl's have cooties!" He gave her a quick wink before he turned away from her, and walked down the hall with the furious Ron.  
  
A/N: I am TOTALLY sorry for the way long delay! I had a major brain fart, and couldn't think of what to write next. Also with a few new classes at school, I had to get those under my belt. Welp, I hope I will keep up a lot more. Send me hate mail because of the delay if you want. ;) 


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